The UFC has extended its broadcasting partnership with ESPN. The mixed martial arts promotion announced that it has extended its broadcasting deal with the Worldwide Leader In Sports by two years.
The UFC has also announced that the UFC has made ESPN+ its exclusive pay-per-view provider.
Fans will be able to order the pay-per-views on Apple TV, Roku, PlayStation 4 and Amazon Fire. The new deal begins on April 13 with UFC 236 in Atlanta, Georgia.
“Today’s announcement further establishes the strength of the partnership between UFC and ESPN,” UFC President Dana White stated. “Now our fans will be able to watch all UFC events exclusively on ESPN platforms, including ESPN+, which is an innovative way to deliver fights to our young fan base. I couldn’t be more excited to work with ESPN for the next seven years. Together we’re going to do amazing things to help grow this sport.”
From MMAjunkie.com:
The UFC and ESPN started its broadcast deal earlier at the start of the year. Prior to that, the UFC was in a seven-year broadcast deal with FOX and FOX Sports.
New ESPN+ subscribers will be able to purchase a yearlong subscription for $79.99 that includes one pay-per-view event. Current ESPN+ subscribers will be able to purchase pay-per-views for $59.99 each.
According to a news release, additional packaging options may become available in the future.
The ESPN+ base subscription package is $4.99 per month, or $49.99 per year. ESPN+ will be the home for 20 UFC “Fight Night” events in 2018.
The Ultimate Fighting Championship returns to television on March 23 with UFC on ESPN+6 in Nashville, Tennessee. The event is headlined by a welterweight clash between Stephen Thompson and Anthony Pettis.